BrainChains

What is your most important tool to be successful as a professional? Your brain!What do you know about your thinking brain that's useful for your everyday work? Nothing.The sad result: you ruin the performance of your magnificent brain, and obstruct the matchless potential of your brain-ICT collaboration (Information and Communication Technologies).Taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of your brain you will also get the best results from your brain-ICT synergy.

In this blog I will mix recent discoveries with useful practical consequences, and ideas from my book "BRAINCHAINS.Discover your brain and unleash its full potential in a hyperconnected multitasking world".

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Your brain: a network of more than 100 billion cells

In our brain we have 80 billion (older text books often
mention 100 billion) information processing cells: neurons (from the Greek word for string), of some 10,000 different types.
Each neuron cell functions like a small computer or microprocessor processing
electrical signals. At the same time each cell is also acting as a chemical
factory, sending chemical signals to other cells. These chemicals are called
neuro-transmitters: they transmit messages from
one neuron to another. The cells influence each other and the
connections between other cells. An important neuro-transmitter is dopamine, which among other things gives us a feeling
of excitement. Others are similar to opium, which among many other things kills
pain and gives us a feeling of satisfaction. We will discuss these later to
better understand why it is so difficult to disconnect from the Internet and
why many people become really addicted to it.

Our brain also has some 80 billion Glia cells. Until recently scientists
thought that the Glia cells only provided structural support, metabolic
support, insulation and a matrix for development. Since our neurons are not
regularly replaced like most other cells in our body, they have to be kept in
shape and nurtured caringly by these Glia cells. Now scholars are beginning to
discover that these cells also play a role in the information processing of our
brain because they influence the connections between the neurons[1]. These Glia cells also control
waste management. You can easily imagine how very important this is given that
the brain cells produce and release chemicals all the time. Most of this waste
management happens during sleep. If there is enough interest in this blog, I am
willing to explain this later. Let me know.

In my next blog I will explain the computing power of our
brain. Prepare yourself for huge numbers. Maybe you can try a guess: 80 billion
neurons, have between 1,000 and 400,000 connections each that fire up to 500
times/second. Do the math to find out how many possible combinations this
gives.

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Theo Compernolle MD.,PhD.

Independent international consultant, executive (team)coach, trainer and key-note speaker.Adjunct professor at the CEDEP European Centre for Executive Development.

Formerly Suez Chair in Leadership and Personal Development at the Solvay Business School, Adjunct Professor at INSEAD, Visiting Professor at the Vlerick School for Management and Professor at the Free University of Amsterdam. More information at www.compernolle.com